Problem: The scale on a map is 8cm : 1km. If two cities are 32cm apart on the map, what is the actual distance in km between the two cities?
The scale means that every 8cm on the map corresponds to an actual distance of 1km. A distance of 32cm on the map is the same as 4 $\cdot$ 8cm. The actual distance between the two cities is 4 $\cdot$ 1km, or 4km.